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To: Michael_B who wrote (1035)	12/6/2000 1:50:54 AM
From: Ted M	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3785

Hi Michael, You posted the following: <Unless I'm wrong, I read this as an end-of-the-day daily reading of calories spent. Not sure that I'm impressed with that. I believe that the CTI gives a calorie burn per activity, right after the fact. A lot more useful.> It sounds like the Healthetech is saying their device measures calories burned during physical activity in this section of the recent PR: <The BodyGem is able to determine the number of calories an individual burns not only at rest, but also during physical activity. The BodyGem is a user-friendly device, with a disposable, hygienic mask or mouthpiece, which attaches to a handheld electronic device. People breathe into the BodyGem, and the resulting number is their metabolism, or actual calories burned.> It sounds to me like the only way they can get an accurate reading of calories burned during activity is for the person to either 1. breathe into the 'disposable, hygienic mask or mouthpiece' during the entire period of activity' or 2. breath into the 'disposable, hygienic mask or mouthpiece' for perhaps a few minutes of activity and extrapolate the results to the entire period of activity. #1 sounds impracticle on a daily basis, and #2 requires keying in the extrapolation as well as a constant rate of activity. Additionally, we do much more than rest during the day. We sit, stand, walk, etc.. All such activity burns calories at a higher rate than the RMR. It sounds as though the mask or mouthpiece would have to be used to measure all of that activity as well. In other words, since activity varies, the mask or mouthpiece would have to be worn during some or all of the time a person is not 'at rest', in order to get an accurate activity burn number! In short, I don't see how this device can easily be used to determine a person's true daily calorie expenditure, since the calories burned while not a complete rest do not seem easy to determine. The CTI seems much more practical to me for measuring calories burned when not at rest, since the CTI measures body movements including during physical activity such as walking, bending, and exercising. However, we have read that although it is fairly accurate for many activities, it is not perfect. It sounds to me like one of the most practical methods out there though. It may be the best thing going for determining calories burned while not at rest. However, what the Healthetech device is good at--determining calories while at rest--perhaps the CTI is not. The article goes on to say: <What's commonly practiced today is the use of predictive formulas and equations to estimate metabolism based population averages. Unfortunately, from person to person, these equations can be in error by as many as 1,000 Calories when compared to actual measurement of their metabolism.> The CTI does record total calories burned by measuring body movements, but I would think that it has to use predictive formulas to determine the calories burned when there is no movement. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. So, while each device has it's positives, they each appear to have drawbacks which may result in inaccurate counting of total calories expended during the day. It seems to me that the other side of the equation--calories injested--is the really hard part. A person really has to know what they are doing to accurately measure the calories taken in. If you get that part wrong, what does it matter if you can accurately measure the calories spent during the day? The perfect device hasn't yet been invented--one which simply and constantly measures your calorie expenditure and calorie intake and tells you whether you are in a net negative or positive (and by how much) over any given period of time which you choose (probably the latest 24 hours would be most useful). With such a device you don't have to count calories and you would quickly learn whether you need to cut back on food intake or be more active. Until such a device is invented, we will just have to do the best we can with the best that is out there. It sounds like the both the CTI and the Healthetech device could be useful toward that end. If I got any of this wrong, someone please correct it. Thanks, ted